Reading Time: 3 minutes Two-thirds of high school students who complete Alberta’s Green Certificate program end up working in the agriculture industry. In a survey of recent program graduates, the province found that 67 per cent of students were successful at finding employment in agriculture after finishing the Green Certificate program and 63 per cent are still employed in […] Read more
Ag apprenticeship program opening doors for high school students
Two-thirds Alberta’s Green Certificate program grads find work and one-quarter go on to an agricultural post-secondary program
Some landowners wrongly billed for power
Reading Time: < 1 minute The Farmers’ Advocate Office (FAO) is warning landowners to watch their electricity bills if they have surface leases with insolvent companies. EPCOR has collected payment from landowners for providing three-phase electric power to a surface lease after an oil and gas company became insolvent. The company relied on a clause in its service agreement where […] Read more
Green jobs in agriculture eligible for wage subsidy
Protecting and restoring ecosystems, reducing energy use, producing organic products and limiting greenhouse gases qualify for the program
Reading Time: < 1 minute Employers in the ag sector with an environmental focus are being urged to consider a program that subsidizes the salaries of new graduates by up to $13,500 per year. “Agriculture is a natural fit for this green jobs initiative,” says Portia MacDonald-Dewhirst, executive director of the Canadian Agricultural Human Resource Council. “Canada’s primary producers are […] Read more
Taxability to rise on Saskatchewan rangeland
The percentage of value (POV) subject to property taxes will be bumped back up on Saskatchewan producers’ rangeland and pasture for the 2017 tax year. Government Relations Minister Donna Harpauer on Monday announced the POV on non-arable (range) land such as pastures will be set via regulatory amendment at 45 per cent, up from 40. […] Read more
Will it be a typical La Niña winter on the Prairies this year?
La Niña usually brings more snow and colder temperatures, but some forecasts are painting a different picture for this year
Reading Time: 3 minutes After nearly 11 months of global record-setting temperatures, North America has had its turn seeing the warmest weather on the planet — at least when compared to average. I’ll have to admit: It really bugs me when people use the infamous line, “Where is global warming now?” every time temperatures in their region are colder […] Read more
Learning how to get more done faster
Reading Time: < 1 minute Interested in learning how to save time and money while increasing productivity and profitability? If so, the Closing the Gap: Creating a More Profitable Business workshop may be what you need. Attendees get two full-day workshops (on topics such as how to incorporate the latest technology and create a culture of continuous improvement), a one-day […] Read more
Alberta producers aren’t sold on sustainability certification programs
Only 30 per cent of farmers believe sustainability certification will be part of doing business in the next five years
Reading Time: 4 minutes Alberta producers don’t know much about sustainability certification programs — but they don’t think it matters much anyway. Those were the key findings of a survey of 400 Alberta producers who were asked about sustainability practices on their farms. While producers are making headway on adopting sustainable production practices, they’re not yet sold on the […] Read more
Looking for foreign workers? Express Entry program has 60,000 of them
The website has profiles of more than 60,000 foreign workers who qualify for permanent residency
Reading Time: 3 minutes In this day and age, finding skilled foreign workers is a little like Internet dating. “Jobbank.gc.ca is the best way to find foreign workers,” said Dean Jorgenson, employer liaison officer with Immigration, Refugees, and Citizenship Canada. “You’re given an opportunity to essentially fish from the Express Entry pool, as well as other job seekers who […] Read more
Federal Tories, NDP press for TB quarantine compensation
Under pressure in the Commons Tuesday, the federal government has committed to “look into options” to compensate Alberta and Saskatchewan producers having to feed cattle they’re prohibited from selling. Federal Conservative and NDP agriculture critics David Anderson and Ruth Ellen Brosseau separately took the government to task this week over the costs producers have to […] Read more
A full and robust traceability system still years away
Alberta is one of the few provinces with mandatory premises identification, but some livestock owners still aren’t registered
Reading Time: 2 minutes A national traceability system covering the entire country would pay major benefits — but it currently has far too many gaps, says a senior traceability official. “The creation of a system has to be national in scope,” said Rick Frederickson, director of animal welfare and national traceability initiatives with Alberta Agriculture and Forestry. “We need […] Read more
Cyber-Savvy Farmer
